MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Governor Kay Ivey has signed Senate Bill 252, known as the Community Pharmacy Relief Act, into law. The legislation aims to curb the influence of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), whose business practices have been blamed for the closure of 10 community pharmacies in Alabama since the start of 2025. These closures were attributed to PBMs reimbursing pharmacies at unsustainably low rates, sometimes below the cost of dispensing medications.
The Alabama Pharmacy Association (APA) expressed gratitude to Governor Ivey, the Alabama Legislature, and the pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patients who rallied in support of the bill. “We believe that several bottom-up movements this year were the reason for the success of SB252,” said APA Chief Executive Officer Louise Jones. She highlighted the Pharmacy Walkout for PBM Reform, which saw participation from over 120 pharmacies, as a pivotal event that spurred public action.
The bill passed unanimously in both the Alabama Senate and House of Representatives. Senator Billy Beasley, the bill’s sponsor and a retired pharmacist, remarked, “This has been a win for the people of Alabama. It’s been a huge win for the community pharmacists in the state of Alabama who just want to be able to go to work, make a living, and take care of their patients.”…